Obsession (10 page)

Things worked out just as Melissa had hoped. After Toni and Brad had made up, Brad stayed for dinner. Then he came back and picked them up for church and brunch the next morning. Overall, it had been a very good weekend.

“There,” Tyler exclaimed. “I'm done. Let's get an envelope.”

Melissa smiled. “I'm afraid I don't know where they are.”

“I do!” Getting up from the table, Tyler, barefoot, padded out of the kitchen, down the hallway, and into his mother's bedroom. Soon he was back with a box of envelopes.

“Here,” he said, climbing back up on his chair. “Now you can help me write my dad's address. It's in this book.” He handed Melissa his mother's address book. A sheet of stamps was stuck in the front.

They got the envelope stamped and addressed. Then Melissa promised him they would walk to the mailbox to mail it after he had his breakfast and got dressed, which started an immediate scramble for a cereal bowl and spoon. Before Tyler sat down to eat, he looked at the letter and frowned, then turned to Melissa, who was still seated at the table.

“Lissa, could we pray for it?”

Melissa was puzzled. “Pray for what?”

“The letter. Let's pray and ask God to get it there safe and to help my dad come home, OK?”

Melissa felt the familiar lump forming in her throat. She nodded. “Sure. You start.”

Tyler closed his eyes. “Dear God, please take this letter to my dad. And please tell him to come home right away ‘cause I really miss him. Amen.”

Melissa tried to say “amen,” but all she could do was grab a napkin from the center of the table and wipe her eyes.

CHAPTER 5

T
he dream was more realistic this time, the terror more pronounced. No more flitting images between waking and sleeping—only heart-pounding, sweat-inducing horror, as she ran, half-blinded with fear, from the nameless predator who stalked her. Her long blonde curls flew wild behind her, threatening to catch on the tree branches, as she crashed through the undergrowth near the water's edge.
Mom? Dad? Can you hear me? Where's Julie? I can't find her. Help me, Dad! I need you! Somebody, please help me! Brad, is that you? Brad? Abe. Oh, thank God, it's you. I knew you'd come. I knew you'd help me… but why? Why is it you? Why is it always you? Who are you, Abe? Who are you? What are you doing here? How did you get here? Can I trust you? Abe? Abe, don't go… Abe. Wait! Listen to me
. …
Don't go…

Toni awoke shaking, crying, reaching for… something, but she was surrounded only by darkness and the overwhelming realization
that her father was dead—and now, the absolute certainty that his death had not been from a heart attack. She shivered and drew the covers close around her neck as the haunting images of her terror-filled dream lunged at her from the night shadows. The pounding of her heart still echoed in her ears, and she recoiled in horror at the truth that imploded on her consciousness. She had no proof whatsoever, and yet she knew. She knew, beyond reasoning or understanding, that something evil had invaded her life, something much worse than she had ever imagined. And the knowing—yet not knowing—was the worst part of all. But one thing was certain. No longer could she dismiss her suspicions that something sinister and mysterious surrounded her father's death. Whatever it might be, there was a definite connection between Paul Matthews and the fifteen-year-old runaway from Colorado, a connection Toni sensed to be fraught with danger. And now—promises to Brad notwithstanding, and with or without Abe's help—she knew she would not rest until she had discovered that connection. She was, after all, a detective's daughter, and her father had taught her not to run in the face of danger. She owed it to him to solve the mystery surrounding his death, whatever the cost.

It had been a long week. The days had run together into one extended kaleidoscope of unanswered questions and unrelenting pain as Toni tried to outrun the terror that stalked her, particularly since her dream several nights earlier. Now it was Friday, and Toni hoped her meeting with Abe might answer some of her questions, although she doubted it would do anything about easing the pain.

She pulled up in front of the police station and parked her red ‘95 Ford Taurus in the only empty spot left on that side of the block. The mid-afternoon sun was beginning to break through the clouds that had hung over the area throughout the day. Toni, dressed in off-white
cotton slacks and a sleeveless print top, and remembering how warm it had been the last time she was in Abe's office, decided against the lightweight sweater she had brought along. She grabbed her purse and climbed out of the car, surprised at the surge of emotion she felt as she mounted the steps and opened the front door. Since waking from her nightmare with the horrifying certainty that her father had not died of a heart attack and that her life had been invaded by some inexplicable evil, Toni had been unable to shake the sense of encroaching dread that threatened to envelop her. She had done her best to stay busy at the office, completing the referrals of her father's clients, sorting through stacks of paperwork, deciding which to save and which to shred, as well as spending time with Melissa and Brad. On several occasions she had even tried to force herself to consider her next career move but had been unable to concentrate long enough to come to any sort of decision.

Abe had called a couple of times during the week, reassuring her that he was continuing to look into the circumstances of her father's death but had not yet come up with anything concrete. Apart from his phone updates, however, Toni had not seen nor talked with Abe since Saturday, when he brought her home from the lake. Now, as inappropriate as it was, she almost welcomed the excitement that pulsed through her as she made her way down the hallway toward Abe's office. It was the first real sign of life she had experienced in days.

His door was open. Abe sat at his desk, his head down as he studied the Julie Greene file, open on the desk in front of him. Toni's heart leapt with encouragement as she realized that Abe truly did share her concern about her father's death.

She raised her hand to knock, hesitating only momentarily as she took in the outline of Abe's bent head, his hunched shoulders, his fingers tented together in front of his face. She wondered what went through his mind as he gazed at the picture of this lovely, vibrant, young girl, whose unknown fate was causing immeasurable pain to her family. Had he been in law enforcement long enough and seen
enough of the seamier side of life that he had gotten used to such things? Was it possible that anyone ever came to that point? If so, what sort of person would he or she then be?

Abe raised his head slowly as she rapped on the door. It took a split second for his dark eyes to register recognition, but as soon as they did, a warm smile spread across his face and he rose to his feet. “Toni,” he said, walking around to the front of his desk to escort her inside. “Come in. How are you? I'm so glad you called.”

He closed the door behind her, and with his hand at the small of her back, gently steered her toward the only extra chair in the room, taking a moment first to reach out with his spare hand and pull the chair closer to his own before releasing her so they could both sit down. Toni did her best to suppress the shiver that ran down her spine as his hand rested against her back, but she was almost certain that her best had not been good enough. Did Abe sense the effect he had on her? Did he realize that she was attracted to him beyond anything that reason or propriety would dictate? She hoped not, and she resolved once again to diffuse any thoughts he might have along those lines.

“I'm fine,” she said, striving to keep her tone of voice businesslike. “And I so appreciate your taking the time to see me. I hesitated to call because I didn't want to impose….”

Abe's smile and dancing eyes implied that he was teasing, but his words were serious. “Impose on me anytime you want. Please. I'm never too busy for a visit from you. After all, we are still partners, aren't we?”

Toni concentrated on her breathing, even as she ignored his last remark. “Thank you. It's just that… I know you told me you're still checking into any possible connection between Julie Greene and my dad's death—which is obvious from her file sitting on your desk—and I know you said there wasn't anything tangible yet, but…” She paused, suddenly unsure of her purpose in coming to Abe's office. What exactly had she expected from this meeting? Did she think he
was holding out on her, that he might tell her something in person that he hadn't told her over the phone? Or did she simply want to be near him? If it was her desire to be in his presence that had drawn her, was it merely because he represented a link to her father? Or was she losing her battle to resist seeing Abe as anything more than a detective who had agreed to help research her father's death? Taking a deep breath, she plunged ahead. “I… guess I just needed to see you, to ask if there's anything I should be doing besides just waiting around for you to discover something.”

He was watching her as she spoke, and she resisted the urge to glance down and make sure her clothes were on right. Toni wished he would stop looking at her, that he would just answer her questions and stop staring in such a penetrating manner. At the same time, she felt caught up in his gaze, as if she couldn't move even if she wanted to. It suddenly occurred to her that he could be quite intimidating when questioning suspects. Finally he spoke, but even then his eyes never left her face.

“I'm afraid I don't have anything to add at this point, nothing major anyway.… Well, there is one slight thing, although nothing significant enough to warrant my contacting the sheriff.…”

Toni leaned forward in her seat. “You found something? What? What is it?”

Abe reached out and laid his hand on her arm. “Toni, listen to me. I didn't mention it because I didn't want you to read something into it that isn't there. But since you're here, I may as well tell you. Just remember what I said. It probably means absolutely nothing, OK?”

Toni nodded, relishing the touch of his hand on her arm, even as her heart raced in anticipation of what he was about to tell her. She was sure Abe was downplaying his discovery so she wouldn't overreact, but she was also sure that what he was about to tell her was more significant than he was letting on.

“I went back up to Eagle Lake on Sunday morning,” Abe said. “I thought I might catch Mrs. Olson at the store, but she wasn't there. I
did talk to Mr. Olson, though, and he told me he saw a vehicle drive up to your dad's cabin very early Wednesday morning, the day he had his heart attack. He couldn't see who was driving it, or even what kind of vehicle it was. He only told me as sort of an afterthought, as if it were no big deal. It probably isn't, which is why I wasn't going to mention it to you yet. But since you're here, well… that's it. That's all I've found out so far.”

“That's all?” Toni was stunned. “What do you mean, that's all? Abe, doesn't that prove my dad didn't die of a heart attack? If someone else was there, doesn't that prove—”

“That doesn't prove anything,” Abe interrupted. “Remember, according to the coroner your father died of natural causes. His own doctor was there with the coroner and said it was a heart attack. If there had been signs of foul play, that would be an entirely different thing and then Mr. Olson's observation would definitely be considered evidence. But under the circumstances, it's just an interesting point to note for future reference.”

Toni was struggling to absorb what Abe was telling her. “Do you mean… even now, with what Simon Olson told you, we still don't have enough evidence to present to the sheriff?”

“I'm afraid so. We need something more, something that would cast doubt on the coroner's ruling of natural death, for Mr. Olson's information to mean anything. What we have right now is that a man with a known heart condition who died while out in his boat fishing—alone, mind you—may have had a visitor earlier that day. That in itself simply isn't suspicious, particularly at a lake during fishing season when many people drive up from town to fish very early in the morning. It's just not enough to justify an investigation. I'm sorry, Toni, but that's the way it is.”

“But…” Toni was incredulous. For a split second she had been so sure that this piece of news was just what they needed to contact the sheriff's office and get an official investigation launched. Apparently that was not the case.

“I see,” she said, a stab of fear piercing her heart as she realized that not even Abe was going to be able to help her discover the truth about her father's death. His hands were tied because of his official position, bound by lines he could not cross. As frightening as it was, she realized that this was something she was going to have to do on her own. Taking a deep breath, she rose from her chair, trembling slightly at the implications of the formidable task ahead of her. “Thank you for your help,” she managed to say. “I appreciate all you've done, but I—”

“Hold on a minute,” Abe interrupted, jumping up and taking her arm. Turning her toward him, he lifted her chin with his finger. “Where do you think you're going? You're talking like we're not partners anymore. Did I miss something here? I thought we were in this together.”